Smiths Detections High-Speed XCT Scanner gains TSA Lab Certification

Smiths Group today announces that Smiths Detection’s HI-SCAN 10080 XCT Explosive Detection System (EDS) has passed laboratory certification for high-speed checked baggage screening from the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The XCT provides a unique imaging solution based on Smiths Detection’s dual-energy, dual-view X-ray technology and Computed Tomography (CT) technology from Analogic Corporation (Nasdaq: ALOG).

Mal Maginnis, President of Smiths Detection, said: “With TSA laboratory certification now added to EU EDS Standard 3 approval, the HI-SCAN 10080 XCT is ideally suited for installation at all major airports outside the US. It is the fastest, largest tunnel-size baggage screening system in the industry today, surpassing the most stringent security screening requirements while both improving airport operations and reducing costs.”

Lab certification of detection performance is vital for systems seeking inclusion in the TSA’s Qualified Products List, a prerequisite for deployment at US airports. Sales to the TSA are also subject to additional testing at its TSA Systems Integration Facility and at a US airport. The next step is for Smiths Detection to coordinate the additional testing with TSA.

The lab approval represents a key endorsement for the revolutionary scanner which, having already passed the European Union Commission Regulation Standard 3 for Aviation Safety, is now being marketed globally outside the US.

With a belt speed of almost 100 feet per minute, the HI-SCAN 10080 XCT can screen up to 1800 bags per hour. The largest baggage tunnel currently available, it allows more bags to be automatically screened than other comparable systems.